Wizard: I am a goblin

Chapter 52 Vomiting is Victory

The two arrived at the base of the White Pagoda, one after the other.

After investigating, it was found that the tower had no elevator, no mechanisms or puzzles—only a set of spiraling stairs leading upwards.

In front of the tower, a line of ancient wisdom is engraved on a brass plaque:

Perseverantia Clavis

"Persistence is the key."

"So, persistence is victory?"

Geb said to Belle, and the girl nodded.

The two looked up at the towering white pagoda, then stared at each other for a moment.

Alright, let's get going.

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The goblin and the girl's figures appeared in the circular window of the white tower, spiraling upwards along the circumference.

The steps stretched almost endlessly, with no end in sight... Gebu walked in front, and the girl followed closely behind.

The hundredth step.

Gebu climbed the stairs with great enthusiasm, taking two steps at a time.

Belle couldn't keep up with the goblin's pace and hurried uphill.

"Hey, Gob, I have a question for you," the girl said. "How exactly does a goblin become a wizard apprentice?"

Why should I tell you?

"I'm curious—a strong sense of curiosity is a fundamental quality of wizards, or so Professor Emint says."

"Imint? You're Imint's student?" Geb blurted out, stopping in his tracks and turning to look at the girl in surprise.

Imint, the author of "Basic Meditation Method," "Magic Scroll 101," and "Omniscient Language Dictionary," is the one from whom Goblin learned all his magical knowledge—yet Goblin doesn't even know who this person is.

Judging from the wording and sentence structure in the book, he is probably a knowledgeable and calm old man... Gebu thought.

"What, you know Professor Imint?"

"Uh... I've heard of it." The goblin hesitated for a moment before saying, "Hey, woman, that magic academy you mentioned... is it very big?"

"Huh? You're a wizard apprentice? You've never even heard of the Imperial Magic Academy?" the girl asked in surprise.

Gebu scratched his head and continued climbing, saying as he went:

"Tell me about that college."

"Then you have to tell me first, how did you come into contact with magic?" Bell made a balance scale gesture with his hand. "One question for one question, an equal exchange."

"...Okay, I..."

Gebu thought for a moment. He had never met this person before, and he didn't trust her, so he couldn't tell the truth.

However, it's not advisable to completely fabricate a story to deceive people, as that would only make it easier to be exposed.

The most difficult lie to distinguish is one that is nine parts truth and one part falsehood.

"...I stumbled upon a book about magic by chance, learned meditation from it, and then obtained other books through other means. Little by little, I learned magic."

"...Are you serious?" The girl gave the goblin a complicated look. "Then you really are a genius."

"In the Empire, wizard apprentices have to go through a long selection process: from a young age, they must show an affinity for the ether, be selected and tested by the local magic officers, be recommended at various levels, take entrance exams, enter the academy, and go through elimination and selection before they can finally obtain the status of an apprentice—this process takes more than ten years, and they are still not considered formal wizards. They still have to pass the Deep Well Ritual."

"So troublesome?" Gebu thought. Looking at the girl in front of him, it was hard to imagine that she had stood out from a group of apprentices—she must have her own strengths, I suppose.

"A self-taught wild wizard... I've only ever heard of such things in legends; this is the first time I've ever seen one."

"Is the empire you're in where demons aren't banned?"

"Of course, it's not the Kingdom of Kane, so of course magic isn't prohibited."

Upon hearing this, Gebu excitedly turned around and said:

"real?"

"Absolutely true... Who on this continent doesn't know that? Have you never left the forest?"

Geb didn't answer her, lost in his own elation. Not all places in the world are forbidden from magic—that's wonderful!

In the Empire, materials and knowledge related to magic are certainly much more abundant and easier to obtain than in the Kingdom. This is a significant advantage for my growth.

Especially that so-called Imperial Magic Academy. The existence of an academy implies a systematic study and summarization of magic, a framework for learning and advancement—unlike now, where we're feeling our way across the river, relying on fragmented efforts to gather materials and prepare rituals…it's so inefficient!

"Hey, does your magic academy accept goblins?"

"Uh..." The girl adjusted her hat, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "I can only say that I've never seen it before... You can try it."

Whether they accept me or not, I have to go in.

Who knows how many magical secrets are hidden inside that academy's "Emerald Spire"?

How can the matter of the Reading Forest be considered...? This joke has been overdone.

Thinking of this, the goblin quickened its pace, leaping upwards with a series of rapids.

"Wait...wait a minute." The girl hurriedly quickened her pace and chased after them.

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The first thousand steps.

"Huff..." The goblin was panting heavily, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead.

He looked out of the round window—it was so high!

The treetops and hills have become distant shapes, and the distant horizon has vanished into a blurry void.

The goblin cautiously peeked out and looked up. The white tower seemed endless—it was still a long way off; as far as he could see, he had only climbed less than a tenth of the way. Not to mention how much further the tower protruded above the clouds.

Can't even think about it.

"Ha...ha..." The girl, supporting her knees, caught up and was startled to see the goblin leaning out of the window. She rushed over and grabbed the goblin's leg.

"...Don't do anything rash, Gebu!"

With this grab, the goblin's center of gravity shifted, and Geb hurriedly shouted:

"Hey! Don't move! You'll fall!"

Geb shakily grabbed the window frame, then tumbled and fell onto the steps. He was terrified.

"That was close, I almost died. Be careful!" the girl said, wiping the sweat from her forehead and widening her eyes.

"Ha... I'd be perfectly fine without you doing that!!!"

"I can't breathe!" the goblin complained.

The girl, supporting herself on her knees, finally caught her breath after a long while. Gebu sat on the steps, pounding his calves—they were about to cramp. The muscles were swollen, and he had almost lost all feeling in them.

"These steps are never-ending..." Geb complained.

"I think this is also part of the trial."

"What kind of training? Leg training?"

"Professor Imington once said: 'A qualified wizard must have a strong physique.'"

"No, no, no, a qualified wizard needs enough rings to fly up... a poor apprentice has to climb stairs."

"Stop talking, save your energy, let's climb..."

The girl reached out her hand to the goblin.

"You go first... I need to catch my breath." Gebu waved his hand.

"I...I'll wait for you up there. Oh my god, I'm exhausted, Ogma's mother...no, Ogma's mother...no...Ogma's mother..."

The girl continued climbing, her mouth agape, clearly suffering, until the tip of her wizard hat drooped down.

Gebu sat on the steps, waiting for his calves to regain feeling—this tower is insane…there must be a way to get up there quickly!

Perseverantia Clavis

Persistence is the key.

If the first trial symbolizes that becoming a wizard requires overcoming the weaknesses of one's nature.

So this trial symbolizes the perseverance of persisting day after day—that's true: reading, meditation, research, every little bit of progress is honed through time and patience.

You can't be lazy. Just like climbing stairs, if you don't take the first step, you'll only stay in the same place.

However, this trial is quite direct... literally climbing upwards.

Gebu sighed, grumbling as he leaned against the wall to stand up.

Crawl, fuck it, we're already here!

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The two thousandth step.

I want to be a wizard! I want to be a wizard!

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The fourth thousandth step.

I want to be a wizard... I want to be... cough cough...

I need to drink water...

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The 8,000th step.

Gebu caught up with the girl—or rather, caught up with her dying body (corpse).

She lay on her back on the steps, sliding down slowly.

The goblin's lungs were about to burst, and its throat tasted of blood.

"E-ha...E-ha..."

He discovered for the first time that a goblin struggling to catch its breath would make a sound like a donkey about to die of exhaustion.

The girl watched blankly as the goblin crawled past her on all fours.

"Wait for me..."

"No... I don't have time for that, I need to climb..."

"Wait..." The girl spun around 180 degrees, gripped the floor tiles with her fingers, and pulled herself up.

8001, 8002...

The clouds outside the window obscured my view; with no landmarks, I had no idea where I was.

Gebu was stunned for a moment, and for a moment he forgot that he had climbed a few steps.

Eight thousand? Nine thousand? Ten thousand?

It doesn't matter anymore; what matters is that we haven't reached the top yet.

I want to be a wizard...

wizard!

wizard!!!

wizard!

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Level ? ? ? ? ?

I am a beetle.

The steps are so much fun, I'm jumping on them.

What is the world?

The world is a grand dream created by the god of chaos.

He had to urinate, and in his dream, a flood occurred.

What is a flood? A flood is ether.

Ether is magic.

So, using magic is like playing with urine.

Geb looked out the window.

I am the King Beetle, and I can fly.

I……

Gebu took a step forward, but his foot missed its mark—he was used to the inertia of going up the steps, and suddenly his foot was on flat ground. He was not used to it for a moment, lost his balance, and fell to his knees with a thud.

Where are the steps?

The steps are gone...

Have I reached the top?

As the goblin stared at the patterns on the floor tiles in front of him, he suddenly felt dizzy, his extreme fatigue turning into a churning stomach.

Yue!

In these ethereal clouds, the sound of vomiting transformed into birdsong, and goblins vomited rainbows all over the ground.